Drum solo (Pregame 2 EA Storage OPEN)

[Catherine Maia Hayes]

"Hm ... dunno what the market price is. Only know the manufacture cost a little. Are you sure they're that cheap, Goo? Even then, customizing one will be pretty expensive."

[Mei-Ling Zhou]

"Oh yeah and I'm never going to do it, just thinking. I used to doodle sketches for new mech designs as a kid, crazy things with tracks or wheels under their feet so they could run or skate. Things with externally mounted backpack engines. Some really silly shit but I was a kid and I still like to consider bad ideas, like trying to make the Charger good."

Mei set down her sticks and stood up to stretch.

"You wanna give it a go?" she gestured to the drums.

[Catherine Maia Hayes]

"Hey." Catherine tries to cheer Mei-Ling up. "I might have done the same, if I were any good at doodling. And finding a good idea can sometime requires bashing your head through a hundred bad ones first. Or something like that."

"Which the Charger is not." She switches back to teasing with a grin. "That thing can bash at most three bad ideas, before falling apart."

She eyes the sticks. "You think I should? I've never really tried drumming before."

[Mei-Ling Zhou]

"Why wouldn't you? It's not like you are going to hurt them, worst thing you could do is break a stick and I have plenty of those. I mean I suppose the Major could wander in and be upset but that's on me. Though maybe drums aren't your thing which is fine." She walked around a bit stretching out her back and shoulders. "I'm not expecting you to hop on and jam like a pro though that would be sweet."

[Catherine Maia Hayes]

"I'll have a try at it then." Catherine decides and moves over to sit down and pick up the sticks. "Have any tips for me, Goo?"

[Mei-Ling Zhou]

"Kicking this one with you foot will give you the deepest sound, these are you main drums and these ones produce a higher sound. Just go nuts and get used to the sound, hitting it harder or lighter can change the way it sounds."

She stood back and smiled, remembering her first time with the sticks.

"Oh and relax your wrists, if you hammer away with stiff robot arms your only going to hurt your wrists and shoulders."

[Catherine Maia Hayes]

As soon as the instructions come, Catherine already tries them out. Kicking the improvised drum. Clacking the sticks together. First hard, then loose.

A few more kicks and hits to get a better feeling for the sound ... then the small tomboy lets herself go wild.

She has the enthusiasm, but no idea how to play any sort of music. It is all just random hits on whatever is within her reach. Banging on the barrels and crates, she produces a cacophony of noise, while laughing.

"That sounds so terrible! But it is sorta fun!"

[Mei-Ling Zhou]

She smiled broadly as she reminisced.

"It's how everyone sounds at first. Here try this."

She pointed at each drum in turn numbering them 1 through 5 and "Kick".

"Just hit in the order as I say it OK? Kick, 1, 1, Kick, 1,2,1"

[Catherine Maia Hayes]

While not exactly musical, Catherine is a natural born athlete and well in control of her body. None of which really help with keeping a rhythm, but the energetic tomboy gives it a good try. Repeating the commands to herself in a whisper, she follows along and hits the appropriate targets.

"Kick. One. One. Kick. One. Two. One."
BOMM. Thump. Thump. BOMM. Thump. Clang. Thump.

[Mei-Ling Zhou]

"There you go, you catch on fast. Now do it a little faster.

"Kick, 1, 1, Kick, 1,2,1"

I wish I had some fucking cymbals, this would be hilarious.

[Catherine Maia Hayes]

"Okie dokie!" She laughs.

The routine is repeated at considerably faster speed and without any whispering this time.
BOMM-Thump-Thump-BOMM-Thump-Clang-Thump.

[Mei-Ling Zhou]

"That's great now add to it, the a 3 in there at the end then repeat the whole thing or repeat it but replace all the 2's with 3's."

She's gonna be alright. Mei though watching Cat and couldn't help but smile.

"I would be happy to teach you properly if you were ever interested. I really need to talk to Alex, they have a guitar and I would love to jam; I've always wanted to be in a band."

[Catherine Maia Hayes]

"Uuuh ..." That is quite the complicated set of instructions and being told the numbers, rather than having the actual instruments be pointed out directly makes the job quite hard for Catherine, since she has to translate that sentence quite a few times. Fortunately the drums had been numbered in a linear order, so it wasn't too far out of the young tomboy's capabilities.

Quietly whispering to herself, the small redhead slowly touches the drums in order, to try and memorize the sequence, before actually going for it. Although she is now much slower again.

BOMM. Thump. Thump. BOMM. Thump. Clang. Thump.
Tonk.
BOMM. Thump. Thump. BOMM. Thump. Tonk. Thump.

She looks up at Mei with bright smile. "You should really talk to Alex then, Goo. I am sure you can make a fun little band together."

[Mei-Ling Zhou]

"We need more than just two for a band though, are you gonna sing for us? Sadly Alex is one of those I haven't managed to get to know very well just yet. We've chatted a bit but Alex is really shy, at least around me but I remember you two seemed to be good friends back at the New years Eve party.

You and Gi are the ones I talk to the most outside of my lance and C/O."

[Catherine Maia Hayes]

"I don't think I'm good enough at singing to be in a band." Catherine giggles. "Alex is a sweetheart and so are you. I am sure you will get along swell."

[Mei-Ling Zhou]

"I'm sure you sound fine you have a sweet voice."

Mei rolled her shoulders and stretched.

"Have you had a chance to hear Alex play yet? I've only heard a chord here and there coming for Alex's room. Without a proper drum kit I'm afraid to ask, this is a really shitty setup but there just isn't the space in my room for a full kit AND all my clothes and knitting and a bed and well...me. Which reminds me I'm almost done with a sweater for you!"

[Catherine Maia Hayes]

Catherine blushes a little at the praise, but has no further comment, as she watches Mei-Ling and continues to slowly drum the just taught sequence, albeit at a much lower volume.

"Heard Alex play a couple of time. I like the sound of a guitar so it is usually a bit of a treat." BOMM! The small redhead gives the big one a firm kick. "Sometimes it's just about having fun, Goo. Care about your Battlemech, because your life depends on it. Music you can make do with whatever. Worst thing, you'll just sound weird." It takes a moment for the last part of Mei-Lings statement to set in. "Eh? You are making a sweater for me?"

And then her face light ups bright red, when a certain memory of the sort of sweater she has seen her fellow Mechwarrior previously display comes to the forefront of her mind. "Like that lingerie one!?" Catherine asks with an embarrassed little shout.

[Mei-Ling Zhou]

Mei turned a matching shade of red, she hadn't though about THAT sweater in months.

"No, no. A normal sweater. Csesztreg is cold this time of year so I wanted to make you something. I had hoped to have it done by the time we got here but I got tied up with to many projects at once."

She put a hand over her mouth an asked. "Do you WANT a sweater like that?"

[Catherine Maia Hayes]

"Oh." Now Catherine is even more embarrassed and the young Sergeant quickly shakes her head. "A normal one would be better I think. I really don't think I could walk around with my back and sides all exposed like that other sweater. It somehow feels more revealing than being in your underwear, even if you were to wear underwear underneath it and I have no idea how that even makes any sense."

[Mei-Ling Zhou]

"No silly." Mei laughed. "I told you that kind of sweater is for seducing someone not wearing around like normal clothes. You know, you invite someone to your room for some sexy time and you have it on when they get there? That sort of thing. But the one I am making you is just a normal 'stay warm in the winter' kind of sweater."

Mei was now intensely curious who Cat would wear that kind of sweater for but a mental image of Gianna looking disappointed stopped her from asking.